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Day 21: Reunion.
The reds, blues, Carolina, and Wash are finally allowed to see Tucker after he’s stabbed by Felix at the end of season 12.
“Dr. is he going to be okay?”
“Captain Tucker should recover just fine given time.”
“Yay, Tucker will be fine!” Caboose cheers, pausing slightly before continuing, “wait… Tucker will be fine.”
“Shut up, Caboose, we all hate him as much as you do.”
“Grif!”
“Everyone shut up!” The room goes silent at Wash’s raised voice, Carolina tilting her head slightly, the blond knowing she’s smirking underneath her helmet. “Thank you. Dr. Grey,” the former freelancer turns to the genius, “when can we see him?”
“He’s still out, but he’s stable enough for you all to go sit in his room, quietly. And I must stress quietly; captain Tucker needs his rest, and if I hear one noise complaint I will kick you all out of the hospital until you learn to control yourselves. Now! You’re all welcome to cram into his room if you wish, we gave him one of our few private rooms for discretion purposes. Just down the hallway on the right, room 23.”
“Thank you, doctor.” Carolina steps off, Wash a fraction of a second behind her.
“Before we go in; if any of you even start to get loud, so help me, I will kick you out before Grey has the chance to, is that understood?”
“Damn, Wash, what got your panties in a twist?”
“Grif!”
“Fine, I’ll shut up.”
“Thank you.” The group crams into the room, shoving themselves into every available open space, though both Sarge and Simmons leave not long later, having put eyes on the aqua soldier, being reassured that he’s alive, Caboose and Grif leaving less than ten minutes after that, leaving the former freelancers alone briefly, until the lieutenants -along with a few privates that had been under their command- all stumble in to see their leader, though none stayed long under the ‘terrifying’ gaze of Agent Carolina.
A comfortable, though somewhat tense, silence stretched between the two as they watched the man on the bed before them as he breathed evenly. “Carolina,” the blond’s voice is scratchy when he finally breaks the silence, “you don’t have to-”
“I know. I want to, though; I know what it’s like to stay by somebody’s bedside for hours and hours, maybe even days, by yourself. It’s no fun at all.”
“Thank you. But what I said still stands; you don’t have to stay here all the time with me.”
“I am getting hungry, would you like me to bring food?”
“Something to snack on, please? I’m not sure my stomach can handle much of the normal rations yet.”
“Okay, I’ll try not to be too long.” The redhead stands, grabbing her helmet from the floor beside her chair and pulling it on again. “Dr. Grey said he should wake soon, hang in there, Wash. I’ll be back soon as I can.”
“Thank you.” He lets his eyes follow his teammate out the door, sighing as he turns his attention back to the man in front of him. “Dr. Grey said you should be awake by now, I know the rest is good for you to recover, but the longer you stay under the more I worry,” he sighs again, moving a hand from his knee, removing his glove before placing his pale hand on his friend’s dark one.
“I don’t mean to intrude- oh goodness, I’m sorry for scaring you.”
“It’s okay, Dr. Grey.” He pulls his hand back hastily, glancing at the doctor and then back at where his hand had been previously.
“You don’t have to move your hand, I won’t say anything to anyone. But what I was going to say is that even though I imagined he’d be awake by now, if it’s any consolation, I’m not concerned that he’s not.” She steps into the room further, dropping a hand on the soldier’s shoulder. “Wake up time varies, especially in a case as traumatic as this. If he’s not at least showing signs of waking by this time tomorrow, then I’d be starting to worry, but for now, I think it’s safe to say everything is fine and his body is just deciding he needs more time dedicated solely to healing.”
“Thank you, that does make me feel better… if only slightly.”
“I just need to check a few things, then I’ll be out of your way. I am changing his dressing, though, so you’re welcome to step outside if that’s going to bother you.”
“I think I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure.” The doctor checks a few machines, noting down multiple things on her data-pad, before pulling back the thin sheet and blanket and moving aside the gown he was put in post-op.
“Oh, god.”
“Are you okay, agent Washington?”
“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know what I expected, but that was not it. I’m fine, though, I’ve seen worse. A lot worse.”
After the doctor is done, she leaves him alone again to his thoughts, knowing that Carolina is still a while out with the food as she got called to a meeting with Kimball and Doyle. “Tucker you idiot. I told you not to put yourself in unnecessary danger.”
“Mmmm?” The man on the bed groans, nose crinkling, as his fingers tighten around Wash’s.
“Tucker, shhh, you’re alright, you’re safe now. Don’t move too much, you don’t want to rip out the stitches.”
“Stitches?” The question is sluggish as he squints his eyes open, closing them again. “Fuck, why’s is so bright?”
“You’re in the hospital, it’s bright because I didn’t bother to turn the lights down after Dr. Grey checked your vitals and incision a while ago.”
“Incision?”
“Yeah, they had to cut you open more than Felix did to make sure none of your organs were punctured.”
“Felix. Yeah, that’s right. How bad is it?”
“You’ll be down and out for a while. He got you pretty good, you’ve got ten stitches, but Dr. Grey said you’re doing fine. I should probably let her know you’re awake.”
“No, wait. Not yet. I don’t think my head can manage her cheeriness right now.”
“Okay, we’ll wait a while longer. I, um, I’m glad you’re awake.”
“Were you worried about me, Wash?”
“Of course I was.”
“Have the holidays turned you sappy, Wash?” The man in the bed finally manages to open his eyes, dark brown staring back into blue.
“What?”
“Dude, it’s Christmas eve.”
“Really?” The blond questions, incredulous. “There’s no way it’s that late in the year already.”
“Check the date.”
“How have I not noticed this.”
“Wouldn’t be that difficult for you to not think of the days.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Did you just admit I’m right about something? Who are you and what have you done with agent Washington?”
“Shut up, you prick.” Washington curses himself on the inside as tears form behind his eyes, despite his words seeming as though he’s unhappy with the man lying in the bed.
“Wash, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know what yo-”
“For once in your life, stop being dramatic.”
“I… fuck, Tucker,” the man pauses, “I thought I was going to lose you. I saw the footage from the other’s helmet cams while you were in surgery. There was so much blood, and you were just there, bleeding, helpless.”
“I’m the one in the hospital bed, I should be crying.”
“Fuck you.”
“No thanks, I’m lying in a hospital bed, critically wounded.” Tucker shifts, wincing slightly, but content and as pain-free as to be expected once he settles in his new position, slightly reclined so he’s not flat. Patting the bed beside him where he’s now made room he speaks again,
“come ‘ere, Wash.”
“No, I don’t want to-”
“The incision is on the other side, we’ll be fine.”
“I’m not sure it’s entirely appropriate.”
“Wash…” Tucker lets out a long sigh, eyes closing and opening slowly again. “I know we have a lot of… um, tension. A lot of things to work out between us. But for once can you just do something without thinking about the consequences? It’s not like I’m asking for something earth-shattering, I’m asking you to sit or lay in bed next to me to reassure you that I’m alive.”
“Okay.” Wash stands, pulling off the last few pieces of armor to leave himself in his undersuit before climbing slowly and carefully into the bed, Tucker throwing his arm out so that it’s under his neck. “Tucker, I-”
“Shh, not now. Just lie here.”
“Okay.” the two stay there, quiet, the blond eventually turning to gently throw his arm over the other’s chest, tucking his head into the other’s next, each man eventually falling asleep in their own time.
That’s how Carolina finds them an hour later, dropping the peanut butter and crackers on the small side table, along with the banana that she brought for the other former freelancer, smiling at the two, glad they finally seemed to have worked out whatever was going on between them.